Live updates on Hurricane Helene: 132 people dead, including 40 in hardest-hit county

Georgia received a historic 11 inches of rainfall earlier this week from the combination of Hurricane Helene and the storm.

Helene triggered flash floods and mudslides, and damage included downed buildings, downed trees and downed power lines, officials said.

Gov. Brian Kemp said from the air that the damage “looked like a bomb went off.”

Seventeen people died in Helene, Georgia, and officials warned that “the number will likely increase as a result of… the cleanup process and unsafe situations.”

Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said Helene caused “unprecedented levels of damage.” Compared to last year’s Hurricane Idalia, Helene caused more than twice the damage to the company’s distribution system and much more to the transmission system, complicating recovery efforts, she said.

The services appeal to residents to stay off the roads.

“Be patient, help your neighbor and thank those who provided first aid,” Kemp said.